Joey Through The Looking Glass
by harmonyarmenia
Summary: Set at the start of S4. Joey and Pacey return from their trip to find a tragic homecoming awaiting them. Will their relationship survive these new hurdles?


TITLE: Joey Through The Looking Glass

AUTHOR: M.C.DUNNIGAN

AUTHOR NOTE: suggestions and criticism is always well-received, so please R&R. thanks, enjoy!

BRIEF: Set at the beginning of season four. Pacey and Joey return from their summer sailing to find a tragic homecoming awaiting them in Capeside.

"Right. Okay, Bessie. Yes! I said okay!" Joey shouted as she slammed down the payphone.

"Bessie got the hump again?" Laughed Pacey, coming back from the store, a brown grocery store back in his arms containing juice, potato chips and some fruit.

"Yeah." She sighed, making her way towards him and looking in the grocery bag to see what he bought. "I don't know what's wrong. She keeps telling me to come back home. I think something's happened, but she won't tell me."

"Well," Pacey said, throwing his arm around his girlfriend and leading her back to where the boat was docked. "We will be back in wonderful Capeside soon my sweet, so the suspense will be over."

"God, the drama already! I don't think I want to go home."

X

Gayle Leery glanced at her son lying in his bed and sighed. He looked a little better. Not much, but better than what he did. It just broke her heart to see him like this. It had been a terrible summer for him. Everyone knew how much he loved Joey and her betraying him for Pacey had just broke his heart.

"How is he?" Mitch asked as Gayle left the room, shutting the door quietly behind her.

"He's still sleeping. That's all he has been doing lately."

"Well it's bound to be hard on him, Gayle. Especially with Joey coming home tonight. Bodie told me."

Gayle sighed as the thought about Joey's reaction to the news. _She was going to be heart broken, too, _she thoguht. _Everyone was._

"They still don't know, do they?" She asked Mitch, opening the linen closet.

"No. Bessie thought it'd be best to tell them in person. I think she's right. It's not the best thing to tell over the phone."

Gayle stumbled backwards as a pile of hand towels fell out of the closet. Mitch reached up and grabbed them in time before they fell to the floor. He folded them and placed them back on the top shelf.

"Oh, I nearly forgot to say; I invited Evelyn and Jen over for dinner tonight. I was talking to Evelyn and we both thought it'd be good for Dawson and Jen to talk. She's tried everything with Jen, but she's still not herself. It'd probably do both of them the world of good."

Mitch leaned over and kissed her on the head.

"Yeah. I just hope everything goes okay when Joey gets home. It can go one way or the other."

X

"Joey!" Bessie launched herself out of her seat and flew over to her little sister when she arrived back home. "Hi, Pacey." She said, noticing that he was standing in the doorway in a horrific bright red Caribbean-style shirt. He nodded at her in reply, a smile crossing his face, seeing how happy Bessie was to see her sister again after three long months.

"So, what was all the fuss?" Joey asked, pulling away from Bessie's grip. "It sounded really serious on the phone. Has everything been okay here?"

"Joey..." Bessie started to say, then glanced over at Pacey. "You guys has better sit down." She beckoned towards the kitchen table.

They both did as they were told, a puzzled look on their faces.

"Guys ..." she hesitated again.

"Bessie, just spit it out. We can handle it. What happened?"

"There was an accident when you were away. It was last week. A car accident. A really serious one. Dawson, Jen, Jack and Andie were involved."

"How serious?" Pacey asked, getting worried.

"Andie was driving and she was drinking. Jack's dead, Andie's in a coma and Dawson ... "

Tears began to stream down Joey's face almost immediately after hearing the news.

"What about Dawson?" Pacey managed to stutter.

"Dawson will never walk again. He's in a wheelchair, guys." She could hear her voice begin to break as she thought of it all again.

Pacey just sat there, stunned, staring at the wall, unable to take the news in. Joey however, jumped out of her chair and ran across the kitchen to the back door.

HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE FIRST CHAPTER, GUYS! PLEASE R&R TO LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT ME TO CONTINUE THIS STORY!!


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